Is Wind Becoming a Victim of Eco-Sabotage?

One or two acts of vandalism could be considered isolated incidents, but wind developers say that the increased number of attacks perpetrated against their facilities in recent months point toward a deliberate pattern. Since November, at least eight incidents of vandalism at wind farms in Southern California have been confirmed by the Kern County Sheriff’s Department. The incidents have involved AES Wind Generation, enXco Development Company and Western Wind Energy Corporation. The losses, which involve damage to meteorological equipment, amount to a total of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Diane Oglesby, public relations coordinator for Helo Energy, said her company also had a meteorological tower taken down by vandals earlier this year. Jeff Patterson, a consultant with Western Wind Energy Corporation and a pioneer in the Tehachapi wind development, said he has heard o...